Show Me the Software!

A WebQuest for EME 2040 (Introduction to Educational Technology)

Designed by Dr. Marie M. Coleman

Introduction | Task | Process | Assessment Rubric | Conclusion | Credits | Teacher Page

Introduction

"The endless litany of the ways in which schools are failing, recited dutifully by countless school reformers, fail to grasp this one essential truth:  If instruction does not mobilize students' intrinsic will to learn, very little will be learned."                                                                                            Jim Cummins and Dennis Sayers in Brave New Schools

Technology, when integrated appropriately, can help to mobilize this "will" to learn.  Quality software is an essential component of integrated technology.

How do you know what represents quality?  How do you know it will match your instructional style as a teacher?  How do you know it has the components to mobilize the students' will to learn?  How do you justify that student learning that is generated is truly worth the cost of the software?  How do you know that the software is free of bias?  How do you know that the software meets the needs and interests of special needs students?

You'll answer these questions and more in Show Me the Software!


Task

You are serving on a school technology committee at SeaCoast School (grades K-8) with a diverse population of 900 students.  This committee representation includes teachers, parents, administrators and students.  The committee has been tasked with choosing educational software for the school with a budget of $5,000 generously offered by the Community Foundation.  Specifically, the tasks are

  • to design a one-page instrument for software evaluation,
  • to preview educational software,
  • to make recommendations for the purchase of software, and
  • to defend your recommendations with the evaluation instrument and an explanation of its worth to the school's goals.

Process

  1. Your first mission is to individually learn about the evaluation of software.  As you link into the resources below, think about the questions raised in the introduction and consider what you know or assume about your school. 
  2. Review your assigned role

  • TEACHER
    Your instructional style and curriculum must be enhanced by software in order for you to use it in your classroom.  When you are evaluating, remember what and how you teach.  You want to use software that will motivate your students to learn.
    		 PARENT
    The most important thing for you is your child's education.  Is he or she going to be ready for the jobs of the future?  Are you sure that your child is getting the basic text, visual, and numerical literacy skills?  Will the software help your child in these areas?  Would you be willing to help the teacher with the software?
    ADMINISTRATOR
    You are ultimately in charge of all the technology in your school.  Does this software require extensive training before it would be productive in classes?  What is the cost?  How does it fit in the district curriculum guidelines?  What effect would it have on student learning?
    		 STUDENT
    Is it fun?  Would you want to use this software to create a project?  What special things can you learn from the software?  Is the software hard to learn?  Could you do things with this software that you cannot do in other ways in your classroom?

  1. Using your evaluation instrument (designed in step 1),
  • preview minimum four (4) educational software products.  Remember to evaluate the software while playing your assigned role. 
  • You may choose from any of the following software product sites and/or you are welcome to explore other software products. 
  • Prepare a list of software products you evaluated and documentation to support the evaluation (i.e., evaluation instrument). 
  • Prioritize your selections and defend their priority ratings.  Post your software evaluations and selections in the Document Sharing area  no later than Sunday midnight.
  1. You have been assigned to work with a team, as described in the task section. 
  • Check your assigned team and acquaint yourself with the other team members.
  • Share your software evaluations (from step 3) from your perspective as teacher, parent, administrator or student with your team members. 
  • As a team, determine what software products you will recommend for purchase.  This consensus should be demonstrated by postings on the Discussion Board and/or use of Chat.  You may find it helpful to use graphic organizers, summary tables or other organizing structures or you may want to develop a checklist of questions to analyze the information for other things to look for.
  • Prepare a proposal of your team's recommendations for the allocated $5,000.  This proposal should detail how these choices were determined and how they meet the various needs of all roles. Post your team's recommendations in the Document Sharing area no later than Wednesday midnight.

Assessment Rubric

This assessment rubric will be used to evaluate your performance for this WebQuest.  Note that you will be assessed individually for four of the five criteria and your team will receive a common grade for the remaining criteria.  This WebQuest activity has a maximum value of 5 points.


Beginning

0

Developing

.5

Accomplished

1

Score

 

Software Evaluation Instrument

(Individual)

 

 Designs educational software evaluation instrument to include less than five (5) relevant characteristics or standards or does not include section for strengths and weaknesses. Designs educational software evaluation instrument to include five (5)  or six (6) relevant characteristics or standards.  Includes section for strengths and weaknesses. Designs educational software evaluation instrument to include seven (7) or more relevant characteristics or standards.  Includes section for strengths and weaknesses.

 

Preview and Evaluation of Software Products

(Individual)

 

 Previews less than three (3) educational  software websites or does not use designed instrument to evaluate software. Previews three (3) educational  software websites.  Uses designed instrument to evaluate software. Previews at least four (4) educational  software websites.  Uses designed instrument to evaluate software.

 

Selection of Software and Defense of Selection

(Individual)

 

 Either does not select educational software based on evaluation or does not  prioritize the selections for purchase recommendation or does not  submit clear and consise  reasoning for software choices, that is also realistic or defensible. Selects educational software based on evaluation.  Prioritizes the selections for purchase recommendation.  Submits  reasoning for software choices, but it is not clear, concise, realistic or defensible. Selects educational software based on evaluation.  Prioritizes the selections for purchase recommendation.  Submits clear and consise reasoning for software choices that is also realistic and defensible.

 

Collaboration

(Individual)

 

 Does not demonstrate contribution of ideas or not in a timely manner and/or does not  value other perspectives nor taking responsibility for building consensus. 
Demonstrates moderate collaboration by contributing some postings (though not all relevant and/or in a timely manner), sharing of ideas, usually valuing other perspectives, and/or taking responsibility for building consensus. 
Demonstrates strong collaboration by contributing numerous and quality postings in a timely manner, sharing of ideas, valuing other perspectives, and taking responsibility for building consensus.  

 

Team's Software Recommendations
 

(Team)

 

 Does not submit a proposal to purchase recommended educational software or does not meet the  allocated budget. The format and content of the proposal is not clear and consise and does not include a convincing defense of the team's selection.  The proposal does not meet the established deadline.
 Submits a proposal to purchase recommended educational software for the allocated budget, however the format and content of the proposal is not clear and consise and it does not include a convincing defense of the team's selection. The proposal meets established deadline for submission. Submits a proposal to purchase recommended educational software for the allocated budget. The format and content of the proposal is clear and consise and includes a convincing defense of the team's selection. The proposal meets established deadline for submission.

Conclusion

Your team's hard work and collaborative discussions have paid off!!  The Community Foundation was impressed with your selections and purchased all of your educational software recommendations!  In fact, the foundation has promised additional funding (earmarked for integrating technology into the classroom) for next school year!!  Do you think that the software you have chosen will meet the challenge in the opening quote? 

Credits & References

This WebQuest was adapted from Gail Gruber's Software Evaluation WebQuest.  Many thanks to her for the inspiration and foundation!

To learn more about WebQuests or to acquire the latest version of the WebQuest template and training materials, click on The WebQuest Page and/or the Design Patterns page.

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